Moving Objects
by mercypapilion
Summary: Susannah has noone - cast out from her home by her family she finds herself alone, until she is taken to live at Xavier's Institute..and learning to use her powers and make friends makes healing even more complicated. my first fic, please R
1. Default Chapter

A/N:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything X-men, at all. I do own Susannah though.

I'm new and this is my first fic…thanks to Katz (morph) for getting me on this site!

Susannah sat and stared out the window. The evening sunshine fell over the grounds outside and as a breeze blew through the trees the shadows cast seemed to dance. She had spent the afternoon up here in her room, staring through this window and watching the people below. A few people had knocked and entered, but seeing the look on her face had quickly retreated and left her be. The look expressed all too clearly her need to be left alone, and alone she was, for more than simply that reason.

She was amazed that it could be only yesterday that her mutant powers had manifested. It seemed like too much had happened for it to be only twenty-four hours ago. She had been in the library at school, having eaten her lunch as fast as she could before retreating there for the rest of her lunch period. The library seemed the safest place for her, with its rows of shelves to hide between and the worlds between the pages to lose herself in. She had never been popular and her eerie green eyes had put many people off from even talking to her. Her eyes were not any larger than ordinary, but she supposed it was something about the colour that unnerved them. They were a vivid green, and to others they seemed to see straight through anyone that she looked at. They were eyes that held secrets, and eyes that seemed to say that she knew your secrets as well, and to see them peering at you through the veil of dark hair that always seemed to be covering her face was very unsettling. Her teachers had always described her as bookish, and it was a description she loved.

But this day her books had not saved her from the horrors of the people that loved to taunt and ridicule her. This day she had been followed as she walked from the cafeteria, and just as she turned to take a book from the shelf she noticed them standing behind her. She turned automatically to see who it was, kicking herself for it as she realised who stood there, and knowing what would follow.

"What are you doing here, freak?"

"What do you mean?"

Their leader laughed, as if she should know the answer to that question.

"This is our library, freak."

"I've never seen you here before…" Her voice quavered as she spoke and she hoped it wasn't as noticeable as it seemed in her head.

"This is our school, you know that. This library is part of the school, right? So this is our library."

Susannah couldn't believe her ears. Did they dare to try and claim her refuge as their own?

"You seem to have a short memory, freak. I asked you a question. What are you doing here?"

"My name is Susannah," she replied. "Not freak." Before she could continue their leader cut her off.

"Did you hear that? The freak has a name!" The others tittered behind him. "But you didn't answer my question, freak. Your memory must be shorter than I thought. What…are…you…doing…here?" he asked again, enunciating each word.

Finally something inside Susannah snapped, and she glared at him, eyes flashing.

"I told you, my name is Susannah, not "freak". And this is not your library, this is not your school, unless it is mine as much as it is yours. Go away, you're not here for any reason except to bother me and I don't appreciate it."

The others' eyes had widened as she had said this, and she wondered why because noone ever seemed to be affected very much when she spoke normally. She turned to see what they were looking at and saw the books from the shelves hovering in mid-air. Suddenly the books threw themselves at the bullies, pelting them and leaving them buried under every book in the library.

Now it was Susannah's turn for her eyes to widen. Without stopping to think, she put her book down, grabbed her backpack and ran, running out of the library past a scared librarian, through the hallway and out the front doors of the school. She ran and ran, until she came to a park about ten minutes walk from her home where she collapsed under a tree and promptly fell asleep.

She woke late that evening and walked home, to find both parents standing in her living room with a pile of luggage next to them. She wondered what it was doing there until she realised that everything in the piles was hers, and that her parents faces looked far from welcoming.

"The school rang us a few hours ago to tell us what had happened, Susannah. At first we didn't believe them, but when we had been to the school to see the destruction in the library and seen the state the other children were in we had no choice but to believe them. What possibly possessed you, to attack those children? It's not like you to be violent at all." Then her mothers face darkened. "But worse was what we were told as to what had happened. Apparently you didn't throw the books, at least not with your hands. You never touched them, did you? _Mutant._" Her mother spat the last word out as if it were a curse. "Get out of our house, Mutant. You are no longer our daughter, this is no longer your house. Take your things, and _leave!_"

Susannah didn't need to be asked again. She grabbed what she could carry and ran as fast as she could, out into the darkness.

Sitting in the park that she had slept in earlier that day she stared at the stars with red-rimmed eyes as the tears dried on her cheeks. Everything had been so sudden, and she had noone now, and nowhere she could go. Eventually she was too exhausted to stay awake and sank into an uneasy sleep.

She awoke to find a man standing in front of her, and opened her mouth to scream but it was muffled by his great paw of a hand covering it.

"Shhh, girl. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you, and by the looks of things," he eyed her things "you're going to need it. I work for a Professor Xavier, who runs a school for mutant kids, and you are one, right?"

Susannah could only nod.

"And you need somewhere to live, and someone to teach you how to manage your powers, right?"

She nodded again.

"So if I promise you that I'm telling the truth, will you come with me?"

She nodded. What did she have to lose?

She put her stuff in the back of the car, and climbed into the front.

The man sat down in the drivers seat and glared at the steering wheel.

"I'd much rather have brought the bike, but you had your things and it's too far to make you sit on a bike when you probably haven't ridden much before."

Susannah nodded slowly, and he realised just how exhausted she was.

"How about…I stop talking, and you go to sleep, hey? You look like you could use it"

Susanna nodded and smiled wearily, before turning her head and falling asleep.

When she woke she was being carried inside by the man who had driven her here.

"We've arrived," he said unnecessarily, given that they were passing a sign that read 'Xavier's Institute For Gifted Youngsters'. "Normally I'd take you to meet the professor first but given that it's four AM and you are exhausted, I'll just take you to your room."

Judging that she had woken enough to be able to walk, he put her down gently.

"I'll walk you to your room."

Susannah followed without a word, through corridors and up stairs. The man opened a door and let her in, putting her bags down.

"I'll let you sleep…someone will come see you in the morning. Sweet dreams."

He had left, and she had fallen asleep on top of the bed in her clothes.

The next day she had woken and dressed, and the man from last night had brought her breakfast. She had thanked him and eaten sitting on her bed, but that thanks was the only word she had spoken that day. She couldn't bring herself to talk yet, and the other people here seemed to understand that and had left her in her room to stare out her window. Someone else had brought her food and left it on the table in her room, but she had barely touched it. The only thing she could do right now was think.


	2. Memories

A/N: I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but oh well. Sorry I took so long to update…exams are next week and life has been hectic! I'll probably post another chapter fairly soon. Please R&R!

Morph: thanks katzie! Actually I didn't mean to write from experience but I needed something to go there that worked and that did! Hmm revenge, eh? Not a bad thought…-lost in thoughts-

Crazycatluver: thankyou very much! Sorry I took so long to update.

Loganlover: glad to hear that…I like Susannah, and this story's fun to write

Jinxeh: yep I'm friends with morph…used to go to school with her in fact! And thankyou very much for the comments on my writing style – I always feel that I put too much detail. Thankyou very much for the review!

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Susannah awoke slowly on her second day at the Institute, vaguely disoriented until she remembered where she was. Immediately she sank down into her bed, trying to will away the truth – that she was not at home, and that she could not return home. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly she wanted desperately to forget, to make life as it was, to go back to even two days ago when everything was normal. But no matter how she tried, when she opened her eyes the room she was in was the same. Sighing, she resigned herself to her fate – at least for now, and surveyed her surroundings.

The room was not large, but not small enough to call it cramped. Her bed was on the right side of the room, facing a wall with a door in the middle. Against the left wall was a desk, and seeing this she sighed as she realised this probably meant schoolwork – and with it, school. A wardrobe stood next to it, and seeing her bag of clothing laid in front of it she figured that she'd have to put her things away sometime today. Between her bed and the desk lay a window – a large one, taking up most of the wall, deep enough for a window seat to be set into it, which was where she had spent most of the day before. The walls were basic lemon yellow, with white ceiling and doorframe, and there was a pale blue rug on the polished floorboards. She appreciated the soft colours, and the simplicity of the room because she favoured neatness and simple rooms were easier to keep neat. The only thing that spoiled this neatness now was her things, lying in a pile at the foot of her bed. With a wry smile she realised that she hadn't had a shower since two days ago, and probably smelled rather strange. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she sat up, and wondered where she could wash and ready herself for the day.

As she was wondering, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said in answer, and as the door opened she saw a girl about her own age. About average height, she had dark hair with two white streaks in the fringe, and seemed to favour long sleeves and gloves, even on the beautiful summer morning. She smiled shyly at Susannah, who smiled back hesitantly.

"My name's Rogue," the girl introduced herself. "Actually it's Marie, but Rogue fits me better. You're Susannah, right?"

Susannah nodded, and replied "Yes, I am. A rather unkempt Susannah currently though, my apologies for not looking my best."

Rogue just laughed and remarked that she thought that Susannah looked fine, given what she'd been through.

"I'll show you the bathroom in this part of the house, if you like. Only three of us share it, so it's not so bad. Four, counting you."

Susannah grabbed what she needed from a bag, and followed Rogue. Rogue hesitantly took her hand in her own gloved one, and they walked a short distance down the hall. Stopping in front of a door a few doors down from Susannah's room, she gestured towards it.

"This is our bathroom. You can recognise it by it's lack of decoration – most of us put name plates and other things on our doors. Right now your door is still plain though, but it and the bathroom door are the only ones so you shouldn't have too much trouble – either you'll end up in your bedroom or the bathroom, so you don't have to worry. I'll leave you be to have a shower and whatever else you need to do – try not to take more than half an hour though, breakfast is in an hour and I haven't had a shower yet! I'll meet you back at your room then and show you down to breakfast." Rogue smiled and walked down the hall in the opposite direction, leaving Susannah staring at the door.

"Well, there's only one thing for it Susannah." she told herself, and turned the handle of the door. The bathroom was clean, if a little small, and towels hung on a rack. Seeing one marked with an "S", she wondered at who would have thought of her. She checked the lettering on the others, thinking that it might have belonged to another girl, but there were three others and none were marked with that letter. She smiled as she saw the one marked with "M", and traced the letter with a finger. Rogue seemed kind, and Susannah was grateful for her. She turned, caught sight of herself in the mirror and shuddering she decided that she needed to get in the shower, _right now!_

Emerging from her shower clean and with damp hair, she looked into the mirror and into her green eyes. 'Green like a cat's eyes,' her grandmother used to say. As she remembered that a shadow passed over her face and she kicked herself for thinking of home or her family. Both were dead to her now, as she was dead to them, and the pain of remembering wasn't worth thinking of. Collecting her things, she tried to shake the thoughts out of her head and walked slowly back to her room.

In her room again she sat in the window seat and waited for Marie – Rogue, she corrected herself, to return and take her to breakfast. Relieved to be clean again she let herself fall into memories even without realising it.

_She woke early that morning, too excited to sleep – it was her seventh birthday and like any child on her birthday she had counted the days eagerly until this morning, and now she was seven. Throwing the blankets off her bed she ran out into the living room to see if anyone was awake. They weren't, it was only seven o'clock in the morning but she didn't mind. Turning on the tv she watched the early morning cartoons until she was disturbed by the voice of another – her grandmother. "Grandma!" she had almost yelled. Jumping up from her place on the living room carpet she leaped into her grandmother's arms._

"How does it feel to be seven, Susannah Green Eyes?"

Susannah simply grinned in reply, and laughed at the familiar nickname. Grandma Griffiths, her father's mother, was her favourite relative, and the one who understood her best. Her grandmother handed her a parcel and she quickly ripped the paper off exposing the gift – or gifts. Two books, hardcover and brand new, both by an author called Enid Blyton whose name she didn't recognise. But what she did recognise was her grandmother's understanding of her loves…and how much she loved to read.

Suddenly she was startled out of her memories by a knock at the door.

"Susannah? It's Rogue."

A wave of grief washed over her as she realised what she had let herself do. Remembering home hurt too much still, and remembering her grandmother even more – they were very close and the idea that she would never see her again – she broke the thought off abruptly. It would not do to try and think about that, she had enough to deal with as it was. And she was going to make herself and Rogue late for breakfast!

Jumping up she walked quickly across the room to the door. Opening it she looked into Rogue's eyes, and as they met she saw an empathetic expression flicker on Rogue's face.

"It's difficult, isn't it. I can't tell you anything to make it easier, but I wish I could. Only time will help…but perhaps being here and meeting some of us will give you some comfort and help to distract you."

Relief filled Susannah as she realised that she didn't have to keep a mask and that the others would understand. She smiled slightly and took Rogue's gloved hand, wondering again at the strange clothes the other girl wore. For summer it was not the most practical choice… Susannah shrugged. Each to their own she supposed. They walked together down the hall towards the stairs and Rogue grinned.

"How do you like the Institute?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen much of it yet."

"That will change pretty quick."

Laughing, Rogue lead Susannah down to breakfast where she suddenly found herself surrounded by faces, welcoming her and asking her name.

Perhaps she could get used to this…it didn't make it any easier but at least it looked like fun.


End file.
